Why summer is the perfect time to network for your career

You don't have to hit pause on your job search

Memorial Day has come and gone. And if you're actively looking for a new job or getting ready to start a job search, you might think you've blown it.

You might as well hang things up until the fall and focus on refining that packing list for your upcoming escape to the beach.

Not so fast.

As a recruiter, summer was the ideal time to catch up on networking

When I was an executive recruiter at a top firm, my colleagues and I all took a collective breath when the summer rolled around. The obvious reason being that the pace of work directly involving our clients and candidates slowed to half speed. Given staggered vacation schedules, meetings and interviews were just harder to schedule.

But that didn't mean we weren't making progress on our searches. And it doesn't mean you can't make meaningful progress when it comes to your own career advancement, especially if you're in the early stages of networking. My fellow recruiters and I actually considered summer to be the ideal time to catch up on networking.

So here are three reasons why you should also consider summer the ideal time to start or follow through on your networking strategy.

1. You have more time, and so do they

You probably have fewer meetings and other demands on your time when the summer rolls around. If you're spending two or three fewer hours a week in conference rooms or on Zoom or Teams, those are two or three additional hours each week you can devote to reaching out to and connecting with people in your extended network.

And here's the thing — if you have more discretionary time because of a reduced meeting load, your potential networking contacts are probably also enjoying the same, refreshing level of freedom. Instead of sitting in yet another status meeting, they can actually spend some time talking with you.

As a recruiter, I found it much easier to get on people's schedules for networking calls during the summer, simply because I had more bandwidth and so did the people I was reaching out to.

2. People are more relaxed, open and helpful

In summer, when business slows down and people are feeling more relaxed, they're more open to listening, brainstorming and generally being helpful. As a recruiter, I had some of my best (and longest) networking conversations during the summer months when the people I reached out to had fewer meetings to attend, fewer presentations to polish, and they just felt less rushed.

Catching people when they're in the right mindset is crucial when you're networking for your career. Some of my most productive networking conversations as a recruiter were with people who were on vacation (it was their idea, I promise). They'd often wake up early before their families did, and they were surprisingly open to donating a bit of their quiet time to my cause. They wanted to contribute, and they were in the right headspace to do it thoughtfully — and often with a nice view.

3. You're setting yourself up for success in the fall

After summer comes fall, when recruiting kicks into high gear. If you've had an engaging and memorable networking conversation with someone in June, July or August, they're going to remember you when recruiters start calling in earnest for referrals in September and October.

I'm a big believer in priming your network to refer you into searches rather than resorting to contacting recruiters directly. Recruiters tend to be risk-averse and will feel more comfortable when you're recommended to them as "a good catch" as opposed to you reaching out to them because you think you need a new job.

Summer is the ideal time to engage people in your network in a meaningful way, so they can feel comfortable referring recruiters to you when those recruiters are seeking potential candidates in the fall.

Your summer networking challenge

It's true, summer can be a slow time for actual hiring. You're probably not going to have a calendar overflowing with interviews.

Instead, you can have a calendar moderately filled with unhurried, high-quality conversations with people who can be instrumental in helping you advance your career.

Your summer networking strategy should focus on quality over quantity.

Reach out to a couple of people you know each week for genuine catch-up conversations. Try to schedule your calls or meetings at times when you and your networking contacts are less likely to be time-pressed and more likely to be relaxed, engaged, and thoughtful.

When you do connect, ask about their lives and current work, share the latest about yours and your vision of what you think might come next — even if that vision isn't fully formed. Be genuinely curious about their perspective. If, on their own, they don't suggest people you might reach out, ask them if there's anyone else they think you should speak with. Keep it open-ended and low-key — it's summer, after all, and you want them to think creatively.

When they do come up with a name or two (or three), ask for introductions. The new people you'll be reaching out to will be primed and much more open to sharing a slice of their summer with you. As an added plus, the person introducing you to them will likely be reconnecting with someone they haven't spoken with in a while. So you'll be doing them both a favor by strengthening their connection to each other.

And while everyone else is mentally checked out until September, you'll be building the relationships and connections that can help advance your career.

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If you'd like help working on your networking strategy, consider booking a Career Strategy Session. We can develop a focused, achievable networking strategy and work on strengthening your narrative.